Other types of depression
Some types of depression have particular symptoms or are seen in particular situations and age groups, and have special names. It is important for psychiatrists to be able to make a diagnosis and start the right treatment in these circumstances.
These types of depression may be difficult to identify. They are often similar to other illnesses. In a worst case scenario this may result in the illness going untreated.
Read about the following types of depression here:
What is melancholia?
Melancholy is a form of depression where the physical symptoms of depression are particularly prominent.
If you are suffering from melancholia your sleep will probably be very disturbed:
- You wake up early and are unable to return to sleep
- You may feel terrible
- Your energy may be significantly affected
- Your sex drive may diminish
- Your appetite may diminish and you may lose a lot of weight
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What is atypical depression?
In some cases depression manifests itself through symptoms that are different to the normal symptoms. You are suffering from atypical depression when:
- Instead of losing your appetite, you start comfort eating and put on weight
- Instead of finding it hard to sleep, you sleep far more than usual
- Your mood swings may be reversed so that you feel best early in the morning and get worse towards the evening
- You become more irritable and perhaps aggressive rather than sad and grinding to a halt (especially in the case of men)
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What is agitated depression?
If you have agitated depression you are depressed but not passive and drained of energy:
- You are anxious and restless
- You cannot sit still
- You complain about your unbearable condition, but find it hard to define your problems
- In severe cases you wander restlessly around, wringing your hands, sighing and making the same complaints over and over again
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What is masked depression?
Depression does not always manifest itself through lower spirits. Depression can be concealed or masked behind other symptoms, such as:
- Tiredness
- Headaches
- Aching muscles
- Stomach aches and problems with your digestion
You can also suffer from depression even if you don't feel depressed. This is known as "depressio mentis sine depressione", which means "depression without feeling depressed". In such cases, tiredness and a lack of energy are most troublesome.
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What is seasonal affective disorder?
Many people suffer from depression during the autumn and winter, particularly in countries where light is scarce at this time of year.
Some people suffer from mild to moderate depression, known as seasonal affective disorder or SAD, virtually every winter. It has been proved that this type of depression can be treated and prevented with white light. This sort of depression is not a common problem in Australia.
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What is postnatal depression?
While it has been shown that the incidence of depression does not increase during pregnancy, some women feel uncertain and emotionally unstable when pregnant. In some cases, fathers-to-be also display a similar emotional condition before or after the birth.
Between 20% and 40% of all women feel out of balance for a while after the birth. Immediately after giving birth you have to adapt both physically and mentally to a completely new situation. You may feel touchy and be easily reduced to tears. You may also feel sad or unhappy. Perhaps you aren't getting any help and support from your nearest and dearest.
These feelings generally last just a few days. But in some people they can develop into depression that requires treatment. If you are suffering from postnatal depression, you may find it hard to take care of your baby and develop a good mother/child relationship. You may have a bad conscience over:
- Being a bad mother
- Not liking the baby enough
- Not looking after the baby well enough
- Not taking care of all your other responsibilities
It is therefore important to be treated quickly for postnatal depression.
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Elderly depression
You can suffer from your first bout of depression at any point in your life. The older you are, the greater the risk of suffering from depression. The course of the illness is often more serious in elderly people. Furthermore, elderly depression is frequently triggered by and combined with:
- Physical illness such as influenza
- Cerebrovascular disease (like strokes)
- Social circumstances - these may be slight changes to everyday life or major stresses such as the death of someone close to you, admission to hospital, moving house or being placed in residential care.
If you are elderly and suffer from depression, the most prominent symptoms will not necessarily be sadness and low spirits. You may instead be tired, anxious, irritable and lacking in your usual 'lust for life'. You may feel distressed rather than depressed.
You may find yourself complaining about the same old things, e.g. problems with your health. You may also complain about things that others consider to be minor problems. You or others may not therefore realise that you are depressed.
As is the case with depression in young people, the elderly have problems remembering things and concentrating. This means that the illness can be confused with senile dementia, another illness involving memory loss.
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What is double depression?
If you suffer from an extended bout of mild to moderate depression, you may be at risk of your condition deteriorating while it progresses. A serious deterioration in your condition can seem like a new bout of depression on top of the one you already have. In such cases you are said to be suffering from double depression.
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What is secondary depression?
If you are already ill and contract another illness, you are said to suffer from a secondary or comorbid illness. Comorbid illness means that a new illness now exists on top of the one you already have.
Every serious or protracted physical illness increases your chances of developing depression. The following are just some of the illnesses that increase this risk:
- Chronic pain
- Arthritis
- Hearth disease
- Stroke
- Parkinson's disease
- Cancer
- AIDS
There can be several reasons for developing depression when you have a physical illness:
Psychological reasons:
It is understandable that you are unhappy and can become depressed if:
- You are in real pain
- It's hard to do things you want to do
- Your illness has turned you into a handicapped
- Your illness is terminal
Physical reasons:
Some illnesses affect the brain's function and can thus trigger depression, e.g.:
- A stroke
- Parkinson's disease
- Multiple sclerosis
If the illness has changed your chemical balance or hormonal balance, it may trigger depression or other mental illness.
Treatment
The medical treatment needed to improve or cure your physical illness can, in some cases, trigger or prolong a bout of depression, anxiety or other psychological disorder.
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